Bannonology

Steve Bannon Is Leaving the White House

Stephen Bannon, the former Breitbart News chairman who helped Donald Trump win the election and served as the West Wing’s resident nationalist ideologue, is leaving the White House. According to The New York Times, Trump had told senior aides that he had made the decision to remove his embattled chief strategist, but his inner circle was still debating when, and how, to execute his ouster as of Friday morning. It was later reported that Bannon had already resigned, and that his resignation was technically effective earlier this week. “White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Steve Bannon have mutually agreed today would be Steve’s last day,” the White House said in a statement. “We are grateful for his service and wish him the best.”

Rumors of Bannon’s imminent exit had reached a fever pitch this week as clashes between the conservative media mogul and his colleagues escalated. Bannon was widely blamed for a vicious smear campaign against the president’s national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, though Bannon has reportedly insisted he had nothing to do with the online effort and that it emerged organically. Bannon has been more public about his disagreements with other West Wing advisers, including Gary Cohn, who he criticized in a recent interview, and Steve Mnuchin.

Word that the decision was imminent was initially reported by Axios’s Jonathan Swan; soon after, Drudge Report editor Matt Drudgetweeted that Bannon ”had a good run.” The news was quickly confirmed by the Times, which reported that Trump, known for his dislike of confrontation and firing people in private, had hesitated on axing Bannon but was not committed to him leaving. A person close to Bannon said that his exit had been delayed by the racial unrest in Charlottesville.

It’s difficult to discern what elements of Trump’s first months in office can be attributed to Bannon, and which he merely took credit for in the press, a fact that irked the president. While a handful of legislative accomplishments can be attributed to the ex-Navy man, Bannon’s failures have been more high-profile than his successes. Trump reportedly blamed him for botching the rollout of the travel ban, now winding its way slowly through federal court challenges. His hoped-for trade war with China has yet to materialize, nor has his bold plan for a trillion-dollar investment in the nation’s infrastructure. Bannon’s attempts to expand his power in the West Wing were foiled when he was removed from the National Security Council, only several weeks after joining it, by McMaster. “His departure may seem turbulent in the media, but inside it will be very smooth,” one White House source told Swan, taking a parting shot at Bannon. “He has no projects or responsibilities to hand off.”

Bannon’s days seemed numbered once Kelly entered the picture. The new chief of staff quickly moved to impose a more military discipline on the White House, and Bannon—who frequently sparred with colleagues—was among the less disciplined. Trump also reportedly came to believe that Bannon was one of the primary leakers talking to the press, a fireable offense in an administration overwhelmed by backbiting.

What Bannon’s post-White House future holds will soon become clearer. Drudge reported that Bannon was unsure whether he would return to Breitbart, which he divested from, or build another media venture entirely. His fellow far-right instigators—at least, the ones behind #FireMcMaster—told me that they would welcome him back with open arms. That could portend increased criticism of the Trump administration among right-wing, nationalist media, which has long looked to Bannon as a ringleader. “It’s in my selfish interest for Bannon to get fired, actually,” Mike Cernovich told me. “It would be a lot more fun if Bannon were back in the game, as it were.”